DANIELLE IS AT HOME WITH SCANDI-STYLE
WHITEFIELD-BORN CHEF OPENS HER FIRST SOLO RESTAURANT CLOSE TO WHERE SHE GREW UP
ANOTHER exciting new restaurant has opened in Prestwich, after Michelin-trained Danielle Heron launched her first site. Taking over a former kitchen showroom on Bury New Road, Osma has a Norweigan influence taken from Danielle’s impressive culinary CV.
The Whitefield-born 28 year old has honed her skills at the likes of two Michelin-starred restaurant L’Enclume in the Lake District and three Michelinstarred Maaemo in Oslo.
Her new concept, and her first solo venture, is serving Scandinavian-style open sandwiches and hearty salads, with a frequently changing evening menu served four nights a week.
Each sandwich will be made using Pollen Bakery’s renowned sourdough, with toppings including fresh peeled shrimps, roast topside of beef, or tuna loin marinated in roasted jalapeno.
The restaurant and bar also has fresh juices, coffee, and creative cocktails on the menu.
Danielle launched Osma this month near where she grew up, with co-owner Sofie Stoermann-Naess.
The pair have turned the old Diane Berry kitchen showroom into a relaxed and modern restaurant space, split into two areas.
The bar area has been decorated with natural tones on the walls and rattan details suspended in mid-air, with huge sandcoloured banquette seating.
In the other half of the restaurant, walls are painted a dark navy-grey, with an impressive floral arrangement of dried flowers suspended from the ceiling.
Danielle and Sofie said: “Osma will use ingredients from local British farms and producers, showcasing their products in their purest form by letting each ingredient speak for itself.
“Seasonality will naturally be a big part of how we design our menus and will influence the interior of the space.
“Our goal is to provide healthy, creative, tasty food with influences from around the world, building on the experiences we have gained over the years working and travelling. It’s great to be back home and see the buzz about the neighbourhood, which features plenty of independent restaurants.
“We are excited about getting going and serving the community some great food in a friendly, relaxed environment.
“Osma has been designed to attract every walk of life and offer something for everyone. You can dine at a window table, in booth seating or sit at the bar to watch the chefs working.
“We also have a large communal table with power points, perfect for a fast working lunch, as a social meeting table for cocktails or for larger groups out to celebrate.”
● Osma is now open at 132 Bury New Road - you can see the latest updates and menus on their Instagram page.
ITALIAN restaurant Carluccio’s is set to permanently close its Trafford Centre restaurant, after being bought out of administration back in March.
A licensing application currently submitted to Trafford Council shows plans to turn the site into a branch of Slim Chickens.
The Carluccio’s chain was acquired in May by the Boparan Restaurant Group, which is behind brands such as Giraffe and Ed’s Easy Diner, saving around 800 jobs. As part of the acquisition, 40 restaurants across the UK closed down, including the Carluccio’s in Spinningfields in the city centre.
The Trafford Centre site, which is in the shopping centre’s main food court, is now to become a branch of Slim Chickens - another name from BRG’s portfolio.
Founded 17 years ago in Fayetteville in the southern US state of Arkansas, the brand specialises in buttermilk-marinated and breaded fried chicken.
It began its UK expansion two years ago and has already opened eight branches around the UK, including in London, Bristol, Southampton, Birmingham and Cardiff.
Three of its existing UK sites are established in other shopping centres, including Bluewater in Kent.
Slim Chickens promises to deliver a ‘dose of that southern [American] hospitality to a fast, casual setting’.
Its main menu items are cooked-to-order chicken wings and chicken tenders, served with a huge range of dipping sauces that include blue cheese, honey mustard, spicy BBQ, buffalo, and cayenne ranch.
There are also ‘Southern sides’, including mac and cheese, fried onions, fried pickles, and a ‘Texas toast slice’ (a thick wedge of bread fried in butter).
Diners will also find burgers and sandwiches, including one vegetarian option, and hand-spun milkshakes in flavours such as popcorn and salted caramel.
Opening on November 2, the restaurant will also feature a soundtrack of delta blues and American rock, as well as live sports screenings.
The conversion leaves only one Carluccio’s operating in Manchester, at Piccadilly Station - although it has yet to reopen following the easing of lockdown restrictions on hospitality in July.